American Black Ducks Seen in Large Numbers at Dulles Wetlands
In an incredibly dense fog, 12 birders visited the Dulles Greenway Wetlands on December 2. While we heard lots of ducks in the wetlands, we couldn’t see them or much of anything else, including the newly reconstructed Bald Eagle nest, until the fog finally lifted a little after 9:00 am.
American Black Duck.
Photo by Gerco Hoogeweg
At that point we watched the largest number of American Black Ducks any of us had ever seen in Loudoun County take off from the water and swirl around our heads. Remaining on the water were two Northern Pintails, two Green-winged Teal, Mallards, and about 20 more Black Ducks, all well-seen in our scopes. With those Black Ducks combined with the ones that flew away, we estimated there were at least 110 of them. A few of us briefly spotted a Northern Harrier as it flew over the wetlands and onto Oatlands. While walking on the trails to and from the Wetlands we observed a number of smaller birds, the most interesting of which were six Swamp Sparrows and two Hermit Thrushes.
As we started back from the wetlands, someone spotted two juvenile Bald Eagles perched together giving all of us decent, though obscured, looks. At the end of the walk, we set up the scopes so we could get a good look at the newly reconstructed Bald Eagle nest on the other side of the wetlands. And just as we were leaving there to walk the short distance back to the cars an adult Bald Eagle flew in and perched in a tall tree looking over the Wetlands.
For a complete list of the birds observed on the walk see the list below or view on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S155587655. Leaders for the walk were Joe Coleman and Mary Ann Good assisted by John Denice and Scott Harris.
Photo by Lisa Streckfuss
Species List
Canada Goose 10
Mallard 40
American Black Duck 110 Exact count by Mary Ann Good
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 2
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 4
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 10
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 4
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 7
American Goldfinch 1
Dark-eyed Junco 4
White-throated Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 65
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
Northern Cardinal 2
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